


Eternity (Life and Death Continued)

by longliv



Category: Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Continued, Other, gender swapped, life and death, life and death continued
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-21
Updated: 2015-11-25
Packaged: 2018-05-02 15:00:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5252567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/longliv/pseuds/longliv
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is the continuation of the Twilight reimagined story "Life and Death" by Stephenie Meyer. If you've read the story, you know the ending was very different from original Twilight, and it left a lot unanswered.<br/>Victor is back in town, Jules Black is now a werewolf, and, despite the fact that Beau is a vampire, she still finds herself drawn to him.<br/>Beau is a Cullen now, and they are still living in Forks. It's been long enough that his eyes are no longer blood-red. He is content to spend forever with Edythe, but first, they must protect their family in order to survive.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Visit

There’s no feeling like lying in bed with your best friend, your partner.  
Edythe and I lay together, our limbs tangling over unused blankets. Neither of us can sleep, but that doesn’t mean we are not calm. Sometimes, when I’m caught in her hair and her head rests on my chest I feel so calm, so still, that maybe I’m sleeping after all.  
This has been our routine ever since I was turned; we make love, wrestle, make love some more, hang out with her family, make love again, and we rest together. Honestly, I’d never thought I could be this happy; it’s not just momentary, but all-encompassing, eternal. Every day is dipped in honey; I can only see through rose-colored glasses.  
That is, unless I happen to think of my old life, of my parents; that’s one wound that just refuses to close.  
“Should we get up?” she asks, breaking the homey silence we’d been wrapped up in for hours on end. I could hear bustling downstairs; Earnest was cleaning, Royal and Carine were preparing to go for hunt together, and Eleanor, Jessamine, and Archie were playing a rather heated game of Trivial Pursuit. Apparently, if you’ve been around for a century or so, it’s easy to mix-up pop culture; I should try playing against them, I might actually have a chance.  
“We’d have to put on clothes,” I sigh. “Are you prepared to do that?”  
“I think I can handle it,” she responds with a smile, turning her lips to the skin of my stomach.  
“Ah, I’m sure you could,” I say playfully, bringing her face to mine and kissing her between words, “I’m (kiss) not so sure (kiss) I could, though. (kiss)”  
She giggles, all teeth against my mouth and says, “Well, somebody has got to stop Archie from winning that game of Trivial Pursuit. I think we could beat him.”  
I grin as she turns away from me. “I was actually just thinking that.”  
“I might not be able to read your mind, Beau, but that doesn’t mean I don’t know how you think.” The sheet fell from around her while she searched for her shirt and, while walking, she stepped right into a beam of sunlight coming from between our curtains. It glinted off her skin like a million diamond shards, scattering rainbowed hues across our walls.  
If I still breathed regularly, my lungs would be empty.  
“What?” she says, catching the look on my face.  
I don’t attempt to hide any emotion when I say, “You think I’ll ever get used to how beautiful you are?”  
She ignores my question, but I can see the smile on her face; if it was possible, she may have blushed. She gets dressed in a flurry; if I was still human, she would’ve been a blur. Now, I can see her quickly throw on a tan sweatshirt and jeans, before tossing jeans, boxer shorts, and a grey T-shirt in my direction.  
“As much as I’d love for you to go au-naturelle, I don’t think our family would be so keen. Get dressed.”  
Our family. The words putter around in my mind; it’s still strange to me, that in less than a year I’ve become a vampire, found the person I’m going to spend my life (which just so happens to be forever) with, lost the family I had and gained a new one. It still felt strange, but in a good way. It was right. When I looked upon the faces of my brothers and sisters (which is truly what they are to me now) I felt nothing but love for them—including Royal.  
“What are you thinking?” Edythe asks quietly once I was fully clothed.  
“Just that I love you,” I answer honestly, “and that I’m happy.”  
She takes my hand and we walk downstairs.  
We pass Earnest, who is cleaning the living room at human speed; I once asked why he didn’t just use his full speed, and he told me he liked to clean, that it helped to clear his mind.  
“Good morning,” I greet. He waves without turning around.  
We approach the family room area, right off the edge of the living room, where the others are playing their game. Immediately, we hear Eleanor shout, “Cheater! You can’t help each other! Jess, I see your lips moving!”  
Jessamine held up her hands in surrender, a slight smile on her crimson-red lips.  
Eleanor’s dark eyebrows burrowed together as she stared down Archie.  
“Just because you stink at this game doesn’t mean I’m cheating,” Archie replies innocently, leaning back on the white leather loveseat he’s perched upon.  
“He is cheating, you know,” says Edythe from beside me. As soon as we enter the room, we release each other. She goes to sit near Eleanor, and I sit on the side of Archie not occupied by Jessamine.  
“Judas!” cries Archie.  
“Ha!” says Eleanor. “I think you should lose a pie slice for that.”  
“Well, you’re not refereeing this game, so, while your opinion is noted, it holds no true weight.”  
Eleanor turns to me, and I immediately understand. “I’m declaring myself the referee,” I say. “Arch, lose a slice.”  
“The betrayal doesn’t stop with you two,” he harrumphs, and dramatically places the slice back in the game box.  
Edythe and I watch for a few rounds. They offer to let us play, but, as I had already declared myself referee, I am forced to decline. I find myself being extra harsh on Archie, simply because it’s funny, and, even though he pretends to be angry, I can tell he thinks it’s funny, too. All this seems to earn me extra points with Eleanor.  
Edythe does agree to play, and, to my surprise, she’s excellent. I guess she had a lot more free nights than the rest of them, before I came along. I suddenly feel a little embarrassed, knowing what occupies her nights now, and I know Jessamine can sense it, which only intensifies the feeling.  
Thankfully, Eleanor’s claiming she was robbed and threatening to turn the table over, so I am distracted.  
After only about ten minutes, Edythe won.  
“No fair!” Eleanor says, frowning playfully. “You can read minds! You would know if one of us had the answer!”  
“True,” Edythe allows, “but neither of you ever had any answers, so it’s a moot point.”  
“Why you little,” Eleanor growls and in a second, she’s on top of her. They grapple for a second before Edythe gains the upper hand; that lasts momentarily, though, then they’re back at it.  
Seizing the opportunity, Archie turns to me and says casually, “So, Beau, about this whole best man thing . . .”  
My eyes widen. “I haven’t actually officially asked you yet, Archie. I haven’t actually officially asked her yet.”  
He rolls his eyes and taps his temple with his index finger. “You will,” he promises. I roll my eyes now. “Now, we need to talk bachelor party . . .”  
“Bachelor what?” I exclaim.  
“You know, I was thinking Vegas. Selling your body is legal in Nevada . . .”  
Jessamine smacks him on the back of the head, while simultaneously Edythe (who’s still wrestling with Eleanor) takes off her shoe and throws it in his direction, smacking him the chest. He laughs, at both of them, and the look on my face. “Kidding, kidding, of course!” He turns to Jess. “You know I only have eyes for you.” He kisses her on the cheek and she smiles so widely I’m sure it’s another vampire thing.  
Archie turns back to me. “We’ll figure something out.”  
Just then, both Eleanor and Edythe stopped grappling and sat up, backs as straight as boards. Jessamine jumped to her feet, nostrils flared; Archie’s ears perked up. I wasn’t as familiar with sounds and smells, and what that entails, but still, after a moment, I knew why they were acting strange. The smell of wet dog filled the air.  
A werewolf was here.  
Earnest entered the room and, seeing us in our strange positions. “Yes, there’s a wolf in our driveway.”  
“I’ll go,” I volunteer. “Most of them know me. Edythe should come too; she’s our only way to communicate.”  
She nods and we both stand up, but Earnest puts up one hand, stopping us. “That actually won’t be necessary,” he says. “She’s in human form.” He looks at me. “You should still go, though, Beau. You do know this one; if I’m remembering correctly, her name is Jules Black.  
“In fact, she might be here to see you.”


	2. Hunter

I’m out of the house in a second, down into the small driveway. Sure enough, there is Julie, her back to me, looking at sky. Her hair has gotten longer; it’s now in a ponytail, but still falls to halfway down her back. She’s wearing a dark grey T-shirt and short jean shorts, her hands in her back pockets.  
She doesn’t seem to have noticed me yet, which is strange, because I’m sure she can smell me.  
“Jules,” I call out gently, taking a step forward.  
She whips around and, upon seeing me, her eyes get very wide, her mouth forming a small o.  
“Hi,” I say. I think about how I must look and sound to her; my voice, which used to be shards of glass, is now melted gold. My eyes are, thankfully, are no longer blood-red, but they are an almost violet color—Carine says it’s the last step before my eyes will turn the caramel-yellow of my siblings’.  
“Beau?” she breathes. I can tell it’s a question. My features are much sharper, like somebody took a photo of me before and edited it in PhotoShop. I’m probably barely recognizable. My own parents wouldn’t recognize me now; my heart sinks and I let it go.  
“It’s me.” I tell her, taking another step forward.  
We’re still yards apart, nowhere near touching, but she jumps back as if I’m right before her eyes. “I can’t believe it,” she says. “My mom warned me you would look . . . but this?”  
“Yeah,” I allow, rubbing my neck with my hand. It’s an old, human gesture, but I haven’t been able to shake it. “It’s a lot to get used to.”  
She doesn’t respond, just shakes her head and look as though someone’s punched her in the gut.  
“I’m still me,” I say. “Nothing’s changed.” She doesn’t respond. “I’m glad to see you.”  
This thaws her out a little, and her face softens, just a little. “I’m actually not here for a social call.”  
For some reason, this makes my insides twist; somehow, I’d hoped she was here to see me…  
“There’s been some killings,” she tells me, putting her hands in her pockets again. I wonder if it’s a nervous action. “Two people in Port Angeles, one in Ozette. Whoever’s doing it is getting closer.”  
I feel my brows furrow, and I begin, “OK, are the police—”  
“It’s a vampire,” she interrupts bluntly. “That’s why I’m here.” She clears her throat and shifts her weight. “My mom thought it might be . . .”  
She looks at me through the hood of her lashed, not wanting to meet my gaze, and, just like that, the realization dawns on me. I suddenly feel like I need to sit down. “Me,” I finish.  
She looks at her feet (which are bare), and I can see the blood rush to her cheeks—my throat burns for a second, but I ignore it. “Well,” she stammers, “my mom knew about how young vampires are . . . how they can’t really control themselves . . .”  
I don’t say anything.  
Suddenly, Edythe is beside me. Her bronze hair is in a loose bun, delicate strands falling around her face. She looks at me with such warmth I might as well be on fire.  
She turns to Julie, and her eyes are now flat, distant. Someone who didn’t know her would probably miss the slight tremble in her voice when she says, “It’s Victor.”  
An icy chill, like someone dumped freezing cold water down my back, rips through me. “Of course,” I breathe. Even though I don’t breathe, in this moment I feel like I know what it must be like to drown.  
“Who?” asks Julie, glaring slightly at Edythe. Her eyes flicker between us.  
“He’s . . .” starts Edythe, “a vampire,” she finished obviously.  
“Well how do you—” Jules begins to ask.  
“He’s the mate of the vampire who killed me.” The words are harsh, but true; I would have certainly died if Joss hadn’t bitten me, if Edythe hadn’t finished the job.  
Jules’s face melts like wax. “Oh, Beau, I had no idea. I’m sorry.” And she sounds it.  
I shake my head. “I’m okay,” I tell her. I turn to Edythe. “How did Archie not see him coming? Will he be coming for us next?”  
Her face twists a little. “Archie did see Victor coming, actually. We’ve been trying to hunt him, but lately the visions keep getting messed up. Probably because the wolves have been hunting him.”  
I hear all the words, but the ones I get stuck on are Archie saw him coming, we’ve been hunting him.  
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I ask it so softly I think she wouldn’t have been able to hear me if she still had a heartbeat.  
“I wanted to protect you,” she says just as softly, placing a marble hand on my forearm. “You’ve been through so much. I wanted to take care of this before you’d even have to know.”  
I understand where she’s coming from, I do; if I thought there was something out there that could cause her pain, I would want it eradicated before it got the chance to. Still, I shake my head slightly and what comes out of my mouth is, “You should’ve told me.”  
Jules clears her throat, and we both look back at her. “That was the other reason I came,” she says. “If it turned out that the killers weren’t, well, you guys, then I thought it might be a good idea to get your help.”  
“You want to team up with us?” I ask incredulously. The Quileute werewolves have made their contempt for the “cold ones” very plain.  
Edythe answers instead of Jules. “Her pack isn’t happy about it. Sam and the others were violently opposed of Jules coming here at all.”  
Jules appraises Edythe, and for a second, I see the hatred that their pack usually displays so openly. “I was told there was a mind-reading blood-sucker here.”  
The warmth that Edythe showed me is totally gone, and her smile is lethal. “In the flesh,” she purrs.  
Jules rolls her eyes. “If we’re going to work together, I would appreciate if you would not poke around in my mind. I don’t really know where your hands have been, thanks.”  
Edythe scoffs. “Funnily enough, I don’t think we actually agreed to help you.”  
Jules opens her mouth to respond but I cut in. “We’ll do it,” I tell her. “We’ll help. Or, at least, I will. I can’t speak for Edythe or everyone else, but I’ll help catch Victor, whatever it takes.”  
Jules nods curtly, but her shoulders seem to relax a little.  
“If Beau’s going, I’m going,” says Edythe. She grabs my hand.  
Jules nods once again and says, “We’ll be in touch.” She takes off towards the trees and, before too long, even I can’t see her.


End file.
